pedro martinez
___________________________
Media predictions for the 2002 season
If you see any others (especially Red Sox), send them in.
March 29, 2002
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Minnesota Seattle New York St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Chicago Anaheim Philadelphia Houston Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Oakland Atlanta Chicago San Diego
Tampa Bay Detroit Texas Florida Cincinnati Los Angeles
Baltimore Kansas City Montreal Pittsburgh Colorado
Milwaukee
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Oakland Atlanta Chicago Arizona
Boston* Minnesota Seattle New York Houston* Los Angeles
Toronto Cleveland Texas Florida St. Louis San Francisco
Tampa Bay Kansas City Anaheim Philadelphia Cincinnati Colorado
Baltimore Detroit Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
World Series -- New York Yankees over Atlanta
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Minnesota Seattle$ New York$ Chicago San Francisco
Boston* Chicago Oakland Atlanta* Houston Arizona
Baltimore Cleveland Texas Philadelphia St. Louis Los Angeles
Toronto Detroit Anaheim Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
World Series -- New York Mets over Seattle
Michael Holley, Boston Globe
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
Boston Cleveland Texas New York St. Louis San Francisco
New York* Chicago Seattle Atlanta Chicago* Arizona
Baltimore Minnesota Oakland Philadelphia Houston Los Angeles
Toronto Detroit Anaheim Florida Cincinnati Colorado
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
World Series - Red Sox over New York Mets
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Minnesota Oakland Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston* Chicago Seattle New York Houston* Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Kansas City Anaheim Florida Cincinnati Colorado
Baltimore Detroit Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
World Series -- New York Yankees over St. Louis
March 28, 2002
American League Preview
Bryon Evje, foxsports.com
Here we are, days away from the start of another baseball season. … We see the A’s reaching the ALCS and the Twins playing meaningful games into late September labor strife, and all that other nonsense. … Here’s how we see the American League shaking out:
American League
East Central West
New York 101 61 Chicago 91 71 Oakland 96 66
Boston 89 73 Minnesota 90 72 Seattle 91 71 [wc]
Toronto 87 75 Cleveland 88 74 Anaheim 89 73
Baltimore 70 92 Kansas City 72 90 Texas 73 89
Tampa Bay 63 99 Detroit 62 100
Red Sox: Boston will again suffer from an injury to Pedro Martinez. The other starters will pick up some of the slack, but the loss of Martinez will put too much strain on the bullpen. The revamped offense will be more exciting and keep the Red Sox in the wild-card hunt until the last week of the season.
Division Series: Yankees over Mariners; Athletics over White Sox
Championship Series: Yankees over Athletics
World Series: Yankees over Cubs in 7
AL MVP: Magglio Ordonez, Chicago
AL Cy Young: Barry Zito, Oakland
AL Rookie of the Year: Hank Blalock, Texas
AL Manager of the Year: Jerry Manuel, Chicago
AL home run champ: Troy Glaus, Anaheim
AL batting champ: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
AL stolen base champ: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
AL ERA champ: Barry Zito, Oakland
AL fireman of the year: Mariano Rivera, New York
AL breakthrough season: Kelvim Escobar, Toronto
AL comeback player: Nomar Garciaparra, Boston
AL downward spiral: John Rocker, Texas
National League Preview
Jerry Beach, foxsports.com
National League
East Central West
Atlanta 96 66 Chicago 92 70 San Diego 89 73
New York 91 71 [wc] St. Louis 89 73 San Francisco 87 75
Montreal 84 78 Houston 87 75 Arizona 85 77
Philadelphia 78 84 Cincinnati 76 86 Los Angeles 79 83
Florida 72 90 Pittsburgh 72 90 Colorado 72 90
Milwaukee 62 100
Division Series: Cubs over Atlanta; Atlanta over Padres
Championship Series: Cubs over Atlanta
World Series: Yankees over Cubs in 7
NL MVP: Phil Nevin, San Diego
NL Cy Young: Kerry Wood, Chicago
NL Rookie of the Year: Sean Burroughs, San Diego
NL Manager of the Year: Bruce Bochy, San Diego
NL home run champ: Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati
NL batting champ: Todd Helton, Colorado
NL stolen base champ: Roger Cedeno, Mets
NL ERA champ: Randy Johnson, Arizona
NL fireman of the year: Kyle Farnsworth, Chicago
NL breakthrough season: Daryle Ward, Houston
NL comeback player: Edgardo Alfonzo, Mets
NL downward spiral: B.J. Surhoff, Atlanta
March 27, 2002
Projecting the leaderboards
Joe Sheehan, espn.com
The Wilton projection system, developed by Clay Davenport, is an integral part of every “Baseball Prospectus” annual. We run projections for every position player in the book, almost 1,000 players in all.
AL Batting Average
Nomar Garciaparra .362
Ivan Rodriguez .335
Ichiro Suzuki .335
Derek Jeter .333
Jason Giambi .331
NL Batting Average
Todd Helton .365
Juan Pierre .356
Larry Walker .347
Lance Berkman .343
Sean Casey .331
AL Home Runs
Alex Rodriguez 50
Rafael Palmeiro 46
Jim Thome 45
Troy Glaus 43
Carlos Delgado 42
NL Home Runs
Sammy Sosa 51
Barry Bonds 51
Todd Helton 45
Jeff Bagwell 40
Richie Sexson 39
AL RBI
Alex Rodriguez 131
Manny Ramirez 130
Rafael Palmeiro 123
Mike Sweeney 123
Jim Thome 120
NL RBI
Todd Helton 128
Richie Sexson 122
Lance Berkman 122
Sammy Sosa 119
Jeff Bagwell 114
AL Equivalent Average
Jason Giambi .358
Manny Ramirez .340
Nomar Garciaparra .336
Alex Rodriguez .333
Jim Thome .324
NL Equivalent Average
Barry Bonds .357
Todd Helton .335
Lance Berkman .335
Chipper Jones .328
Sammy Sosa .327
Baseball Weekly — Predictions 2000
Bob Nightengale, Paul White, Chris Colston, Steve DiMeglio, Seth Livingstone
BN PW CC SD SL
AL East Yankees Yankees Yankees Red Sox Yankees
AL Central White Sox Twins White Sox White Sox White Sox
AL West A’s A’s A’s A’s Rangers
AL Wild Card Mariners Mariners Rangers Mariners Mariners
NL East Atlanta Phillies Atlanta Atlanta Mets
NL Central Cardinals Astros Astros Cardinals Cardinals
NL West Giants Giants Dodgers Giants Dodgers
NL Wild Card Astros D’backs Mets Astros Astros
AL Pennant A’s Yankees Yankees A’s Mariners
NL Pennant Atlanta Phillies Atlanta Cardinals Cardinals
World Series Atlanta Yankees Yankees Cardinals Yankees
MLB HR Leader Sosa 61 Bonds 67 Sosa 58 Griffey 59 Sosa 81
Surprise Team A’s Phillies Rangers Reds Rangers
Surprise Player THundley VWells ABeltre SSchoenewis DBaez
Disappointing Team Mets Mets D’backs Yankees Atlanta
Disappoint Player MVaughn TZeile MCordova RSierra DHermanson
Date Work Stoppage Nov. 2 July 8 None 2nd day after WS None
Bowa or Rolen
– Who Goes First? Rolen Bowa Rolen Rolen Rolen
Smallest Expos Crowd 1,412 3,016 1,234 505 317 family/friends
First No-Hitter MMorris RJohnson JBeckett BZito RJohnson
March 26, 2002
Karl Ravech, Peter Gammons, Dave Campbell, Jayson Stark, Tim Kurkjian, Rob Neyer, Dan Patrick, Rob Dibble, Tom Candiotti, Mike Macfarlane, Jeff Brantley, Dan Shulman:
KR PG DC JS TK RN DP RD TC MM JB DS
AL East NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY NYY
AL Central Min Min CWS Min Cle CWS Min CWS CWS CWS CWS Cle
AL West Sea Oak Sea Sea Sea Sea Sea Sea Oak Sea Oak Sea
AL WC Oak Sea Oak Bos Oak Oak Oak Oak Sea Bos Sea Oak
NL East Atl Atl Atl Atl Atl Atl Atl NYM NYM NYM Atl Atl
NL Central StL StL StL StL StL Hou StL StL StL Hou StL StL
NL West SF Arz SF SF Arz SD Arz Arz Arz LA Arz Arz
NL WC Hou Hou Arz Phi NYM NYM NYM Cubs LA StL Hou NYM
World Series
Karl Ravech: St. Louis over Oakland
Peter Gammons: St. Louis over Oakland
Dave Campbell: New York Yankees over St. Louis
Jayson Stark: Seattle over St. Louis
Tim Kurkjian: New York Yankees over Atlanta
Rob Neyer: Oakland over Houston
Dan Patrick: St. Louis over Seattle
Rob Dibble: New York Mets over Seattle
Tom Candiotti: New York Mets over Oakland
Mike Macfarlane: New York Yankees over Houston
Jeff Brantley: St. Louis over Oakland
Dan Shulman: Seattle over St. Louis
AL MVP
Karl Ravech: Alex Rodriguez
Peter Gammons: Alex Rodriguez
Dave Campbell: Jason Giambi
Jayson Stark: Jason Giambi
Tim Kurkjian: Alex Rodriguez
Rob Neyer: Ichiro Suzuki
Dan Patrick: Alex Rodriguez
Rob Dibble: Jason Giambi
Tom Candiotti: Jason Giambi
Mike Macfarlane: Frank Thomas
Jeff Brantley: Alex Rodriguez
Dan Shulman: Alex Rodriguez
NL MVP
Karl Ravech: Gary Sheffield
Peter Gammons: Sammy Sosa
Dave Campbell: Sammy Sosa
Jayson Stark: Sammy Sosa
Tim Kurkjian: Chipper Jones
Rob Neyer: Jeff Bagwell
Dan Patrick: Chipper Jones
Rob Dibble: Barry Bonds
Tom Candiotti: Mike Piazza
Mike Macfarlane: Mike Piazza
Jeff Brantley: J.D. Drew
Dan Shulman: Sammy Sosa
AL Cy Young
Karl Ravech: Tim Hudson
Peter Gammons: Tim Hudson
Dave Campbell: Mike Mussina
Jayson Stark: Tim Hudson
Tim Kurkjian: Tim Hudson
Rob Neyer: Mike Mussina
Dan Patrick: Mark Mulder
Rob Dibble: Mark Mulder
Tom Candiotti: Pedro Martinez
Mike Macfarlane: Tim Hudson
Jeff Brantley: Mike Mussina
Dan Shulman: Mike Mussina
NL Cy Young
Karl Ravech: Randy Johnson
Peter Gammons: Matt Morris
Dave Campbell: Randy Johnson
Jayson Stark: Kerry Wood
Tim Kurkjian: Curt Schilling
Rob Neyer: Randy Johnson
Dan Patrick: Randy Johnson
Rob Dibble: Randy Johnson
Tom Candiotti: Matt Morris
Mike Macfarlane: Roy Oswalt
Jeff Brantley: Matt Morris
Dan Shulman: Curt Schilling
AL Rookie
Karl Ravech: Hank Blalock, Tex
Peter Gammons: Hank Blalock, Tex
Dave Campbell: Hank Blalock, Tex
Jayson Stark: Hank Blalock, Tex
Tim Kurkjian: Hank Blalock, Tex
Rob Neyer: Hank Blalock, Tex
Dan Patrick: Hank Blalock, Tex
Rob Dibble: Nick Johnson, NYY
Tom Candiotti: Carlos Pena, Oak
Mike Macfarlane: Carlos Pena
Jeff Brantley: Hank Blalock, Tex
Dan Shulman: Hank Blalock, Tex
NL Rookie
Karl Ravech: Josh Beckett, Fla
Peter Gammons: Sean Burroughs, SD
Dave Campbell: Sean Burroughs, SD
Jayson Stark: Josh Beckett, Fla
Tim Kurkjian: Josh Beckett, Fla
Rob Neyer: Ishii, LA
Dan Patrick: Mark Prior, Cubs
Rob Dibble: Cesar Izturis, LA
Tom Candiotti: Sean Burroughs, SD
Mike Macfarlane: Josh Beckett, Fla
Jeff Brantley: Josh Beckett, Fla
Dan Shulman: Sean Burroughs, SD
Comeback Player
Karl Ravech: Nomar Garciaparra
Peter Gammons: Nomar Garciaparra
Dave Campbell: Mo Vaughn
Jayson Stark: Nomar Garciaparra
Tim Kurkjian: Frank Thomas
Rob Neyer: Mo Vaughn
Dan Patrick: Darrin Erstad
Rob Dibble: Mo Vaughn
Tom Candiotti: Mike Lieberthal
Mike Macfarlane: Frank Thomas
Jeff Brantley: Mike Lieberthal
Dan Shulman: Frank Thomas
Breakout Player
Karl Ravech: Jack Wilson, Pit
Peter Gammons: Adrian Beltre, LA
Dave Campbell: Eric Chavez, Oak
Jayson Stark: Adam Dunn, Cin
Tim Kurkjian: Adam Dunn, Cin
Rob Neyer: J.D. Drew, StL
Dan Patrick: J.D. Drew, StL
Rob Dibble: Nick Johnson, NYY
Tom Candiotti: Russell Branyan, Cle
Mike Macfarlane: Josh Beckett, Fla
Jeff Brantley: J.D. Drew, StL
Dan Shulman: Vernon Wells, Tor
March 25, 2002
Projected Standings for the 2002 Season
Tom Tippett, DiamondMind.com
Here are the projected final standings, based on the fifty seasons we simulated:
Legend
W, L, Pct, GB — average wins, average losses, winning percentage, games behind leader
RF, RA — average runs for and against
#DIV, #WC — number of division titles and wildcards (fractions given for ties)
AL East W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
New York 104 58 .642 – 919 680 45.5 1.5
Boston 92 70 .568 12 851 727 4.5 24.5
Toronto 77 85 .475 27 781 839 1.0
Baltimore 66 96 .407 38 721 861
Tampa Bay 61 101 .377 43 696 902
AL Central W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
Chicago 89 73 .549 – 827 762 40.5 .5
Minnesota 81 81 .500 8 791 796 6.5
Cleveland 78 84 .481 11 827 852 3.0 .5
Kansas City 64 98 .395 25 725 906
Detroit 63 99 .389 26 708 883
AL West W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
Oakland 96 66 .593 – 850 669 31.5 6.0
Seattle 91 71 .562 5 792 691 10.0 9.5
Texas 88 74 .543 8 901 830 6.5 5.5
Anaheim 82 80 .506 14 769 751 2.0 1.0
NL East W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
Atlanta 88 74 .543 – 748 686 25.5 5.0
Philadelphia 83 79 .512 5 735 706 13.0 1.5
Florida 82 80 .506 6 753 736 7.5 3.0
New York 80 82 .494 8 704 717 4.0 1.8
Montreal 69 93 .426 19 705 830
NL Central W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
St. Louis 90 72 .556 – 797 711 28.8 5.0
Houston 87 75 .537 3 837 783 13.8 11.0
Chicago 81 81 .500 9 779 781 4.8 2.0
Cincinnati 80 82 .494 10 785 796 3.0 3.3
Milwaukee 73 89 .451 17 735 832 .5
Pittsburgh 72 90 .444 18 689 765
NL West W L Pct GB RF RA #DIV #WC
San Francisco 88 74 .543 – 772 717 22.5 4.3
Colorado 85 77 .525 3 967 931 12.0 5.0
Arizona 84 78 .519 4 729 713 11.0 5.0
Los Angeles 79 83 .488 9 706 709 2.0 2.5
San Diego 77 85 .475 11 728 765 2.5 1.0
Ten of the fourteen AL teams qualified for the playoffs in at least one of the simulated seasons. … The National League could set a new standard for parity this year. …
Boston Red Sox (92-70, division title 9%, wildcard 49%)
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
New owners (John Henry et al), a new CEO (Larry Lucchino), a new acting general manager (Mike Port), a new field manager (Grady Little), a new pitching coach (Tony Cloninger), a new center fielder (Johnny Damon), and several new starting pitchers (including John Burkett) have provided some reasons for optimism after last year’s embarrassing late-season meltdown.
Some things are the same, however. If this team is to contend, the guys who have been here a while (Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, and to a lesser extent, Trot Nixon and Derek Lowe) have to stay healthy and perform at their peak levels. And even if they do, they’ll probably still be looking up at the Yankees in the standings. In one of our simulated seasons, almost everything went right, the Sox won 109 games, and they still finished three back of New York thanks to a season-ending four-game losing streak.
Difference makers: Moving to a DH league and a hitter’s park, Dustin Hermanson posted an ERA in the low 5’s in our simulations. He could be better than that if he realizes the promise he showed a few years ago, or the Sox could go with Juan Pena or someone else who’s having a better spring … Carlos Baerga projects as a below-average hitter, but arrived in camp in much better physical condition and could help the Sox fill holes at second and third … Any of the key guys who were hurt last year (Pedro, Nomar, Varitek) may struggle to reach their established level of performance.
Boston Red Sox season preview
David Schoenfield and Tom Candiotti, espn.com
Q: Do the Red Sox have enough pitching behind Pedro Martinez to challenge the Yankees?
The Red Sox will score runs with Johnny Damon leading off in front of Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez. But pitching is the big concern. A healthy Martinez will lead the staff, but then who? The Red Sox replaced Hideo Nomo with John Burkett. While Burkett has pitched great in the NL, the AL has not been kind to him. Can Derek Lowe endure a 200-inning workload or can knuckleballer Tim Wakefield shine while constantly being shuffled between the bullpen and the rotation? There are too many questions and unknowns hovering around the pitching staff. The offense will take pressure, but the Red Sox will break more hearts because their pitching will come up short.
March 23, 2002
Boston Red Sox 2002 Preview
Andrew Sutton, The Sports Network
Also: New York Yankees — Toronto Blue Jays — Baltimore Orioles — Tampa Bay Devil Rays
March 21, 2002
It’s shaping up as more of the same: Pray for Pedro and wait till next year
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
Since Feb. 27 Boston has changed owners, general managers, managers, scouting directors, managers again, hitting coaches and corporate cultures. For all those machinations, though, absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the fate of the ball club: It falls hard and heavy on the spindly frame of Martinez.
Using SI’s team rankings, here is its division predictions (numbers are team’s MLB ranking according to SI):
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York (1) Chicago (10) Seattle (2) Atlanta (5) St. Louis (3) Arizona (4)
Boston (9) Minnesota (13) Oakland (6) New York (8) Houston (7) San Francisco (11)
Toronto (21) Cleveland (14) Anaheim (18) Florida (12) Chicago (15) Los Angeles (16)
Baltimore (26) Detroit (24) Texas (20) Philadelphia (17) Milwaukee (23) San Diego (19)
Tampa Bay (30) Kansas City (28) Montreal (25) Cincinnati (27) Colorado (22)
Pittsburgh (29)
Best Records in League: Yankees and Arizona
Wild Cards: Oakland and Houston
ALDS: Yankees over Oakland; Seattle over White Sox
NLDS: St. Louis over Atlanta; Arizona over Houston
ALCS: Yankees over Seattle
NLCS: St. Louis over Arizona
World Series: Yankees over St. Louis
Red Sox in SI’s Player Value Rankings (ranking at position; ranking among all non-pitchers; pitchers are ranked among other starters and relievers, respectively):
C: Jason Varitek (11, 180)
1B: Tony Clark (21, 140)
2B: None listed
3B: Shea Hillenbrand (27, 230)
SS: Nomar Garciaparra (2, 32)
OF: Manny Ramirez (10, 15)
OF: Johnny Damon (40, 82)
OF: Trot Nixon (45, 92)
DH: Brian Daubach (7, 165)
SP: Pedro Martinez (1, 1)
SP: John Burkett (40, 55)
SP: Derek Lowe (70, 95)
SP: Frank Castillo (87, 129)
SP: Dustin Hermanson (98, 144)
RP: Ugueth Urbina (21, 75)
RP: Rich Garces (36, 122)
SI’s website has a complete list of PVRs by position
March 20, 2002
Some comments from Peter Gammons’s March 20 Mailbag
I think the teams in each league with the best chance, in no set order, are:
AL — NY, Oakland, Seattle
NL — St. Louis, Houston, Atlanta, Arizona
If [Kerry Wood] stays healthy, I think he wins 20 and dominates … I love the character and the mean streak.
[Most competitive division in 2002?] The AL West.
March 8, 2002
Street & Smith's
Lord George and his wallet will preside over another division title
Joe Strauss, Baltimore Sun
Only the Red Sox appeared to challenge the Yankees early sweep of the free-agent market. Initially held hostage by the pending sale of the club by the Yawkey Trust, embattled General Manager Dan Duquette appeared to make the Sox a more functional bunch by trading away gifted but combustible center fielder Carl Everett, trading for starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson and signing free-agent center fielder Johnny Damon, who will be a huge plus for a team long lacking speed and defense.
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Seattle New York Houston Arizona
Boston Cleveland Oakland Florida St. Louis San Francisco
Toronto Minnesota Texas Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Kansas City Anaheim Philadelphia Milwaukee Colorado
Baltimore Detroit Montreal Cincinnati San Diego
Pittsburgh
Wild Cards: Boston and San Francisco World Series: Yankees beat Arizona AL MVP: Jason Giambi AL Cy Young: Pedro Martinez NL MVP: Sammy Sosa NL Cy Young: Randy Johnson
March 6, 2002
Chin Music Divisional Preview #3: The AL East
Craig Calcaterra, bullmag.com
Past Yankees teams were made up of binge drinkers, prima donnas, and wife-swappers. They fought in the dugout. They painted the town red. They even managed to win a bunch of championships in the process. … Theres little doubt that they will dominate their opposition, but the 2002 Yankees are going to be the most uninteresting 105-win team in baseball history. Theyll say all the right things to the media. Theyll give each other friendly, but restrained high-fives after home runs. They’ll show up with their moms in those Chunky soup commercials. Sad. …
The Red Sox may not have won a World Series in our lifetime (or our fathers’ lifetime, or hell, some of our grandfathers’ lifetimes) but they have rarely if ever been a bad team. … [T]here is a lot for Sox fans to like about their own team. Sure, the Yankees may have an all-world, GQ cover-boy shortstop in Derek Jeter, but the Sox have an even better all-world, GQ cover-boy shortstop in Nomar Garciaparra. The Yankees may have a fireballing ace (and former Red Sox star) in Roger Clemens, but the Sox have an even better fireballing ace in Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox may not be as strong as the Yankees from top to bottom, but they have the chance to be really damn good this year, and their fans should enjoy it.
Projected Finish: New York, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore
AL West: Oakland, Seattle, Anaheim, Texas
AL Central: Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, Kansas City
March 1, 2002
Will Christensen on the AL East (pdf)
Main page to read previews of the other divisions
February 28, 2002
Canadian Baseball Abstract 2002
W L RF RA W L RF RA W L RF RA
Oak 91 71 880 770 Chi 87 75 878 810 NYY 92 70 879 757
Sea 88 74 810 737 Cle 86 76 865 808 Bos 87 75 885 815
Tex 87 75 930 858 Min 82 80 802 791 Tor 78 84 800 833
Ana 78 84 785 817 Det 74 88 753 825 TB 68 94 728 867
KC 72 90 735 831 Bal 64 98 722 909
W L RF RA W L RF RA W L RF RA
Ari 87 75 810 748 StL 89 73 860 771 Atl 90 72 795 706
SF 84 78 820 788 Hou 87 75 915 845 NYM 87 75 788 728
LA 78 84 730 760 Chi 85 77 778 736 Flo 81 81 780 780
SD 78 84 765 795 Cin 78 84 809 842 Phi 79 83 800 820
Col 77 85 920 971 Mil 73 89 740 825 Mon 72 90 727 821
Pit 71 91 721 825
February 21, 2002
Espn.com chat with baseball editor David Schoenfield
Do the Red Sox have a chance to challenge the Yankees in the AL East?
David Schoenfield: Let’s see … Pedro makes 32 starts, Nomar plays 150 games, Manny plays 150 games, Damon hits .300, Burkett has a 3.25 ERA, Urbina saves 45, Red Sox win 100 and win AL East by 4 games.
February 18, 2002
The Sporting News
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Seattle New York St. Louis Arizona
Boston Minnesota Oakland Atlanta Chicago San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Houston Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Florida Cincinnati San Diego
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee Colorado
Pittsburgh
Wild Cards: Minnesota and Atlanta
World Series: Yankees beat St. Louis
All seven writers picked Boston for 2nd place — two picked Boston for the wild card — no one pick Boston for the pennant.
One writer picked Nomar for MVP; 3 writers picked Pedro for the Cy Young.
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Oakland Atlanta St. Louis Arizona
Boston Minnesota Seattle New York Houston San Francisco
Toronto Cleveland Texas Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles
Baltimore Detroit Anaheim Florida Cincinnati Colorado
Tampa Bay Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
Wild Cards: Seattle and San Francisco
World Series: Yankees beat St. Louis
NL MVP: Roberto Alomar, Sammy Sosa, J.D. Drew
NL Cy Young: Matt Morris, Randy Johnson, Ryan Dempster
AL MVP: Jason Giambi, Magglio Ordonez, Derek Jeter
AL Cy Young: Mike Mussina, Tim Hudson, Pedro Martinez
February 15, 2002
Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella predicted his squad would win the AL West again this season: “I’d pick us. I’d preface that by saying it’s a very tough division. Anything can happen. It’s a very improved division. If we can stay healthy in our pitching, we’re a better team. I’m not talking about 117 better, but better.”
February 11, 2002
American League National League
East Central West East Central West
New York Chicago Seattle Atlanta St. Louis San Francisco
Boston Minnesota Oakland New York Chicago Arizona
Toronto Cleveland Texas Florida Houston Colorado
Tampa Bay Detroit Anaheim Philadelphia Cincinnati Los Angeles
Baltimore Kansas City Montreal Milwaukee San Diego
Pittsburgh
February 10, 2002
Bosox Take Flag in This Race
Jon Heyman, Newsday
Almost everyone seems to agree that the Mets were the biggest winner this winter, and it’s true that general manager Steve Phillips remade the team without blowing the budget, a near impossibility. However, in our final winter rankings, the Mets finish only a close second to the Red Sox …
Winners
1. Red Sox (A-plus).
2. Mets (A-plus).
3. Yankees (A). Swiping Jason Giambi from their main competitor should ensure continuation of their stunning success. The one thing unanswered is why Steve Karsay ($22 million) is worth twice as much as Jeff Nelson when he isn’t half as good. Could it be what we suspected all along, that Joe Torre hated Nelson?
February 9, 2002
Sean McAdam, espn.com chat, January 31
John (hartford): Sean, who’s your pre-spring training picks for the World Series?
Sean McAdam: John, I’d have to say the Yankees and Cardinals right now.
February 8, 2002
AL East preview: Familiar ring as Yankees reload
Ken Daley, Dallas Morning News
… [Steinbrenner] immediately sought out the best hitter available on the free-agent market, yanking Jason Giambi away from the increasingly dangerous Oakland Athletics with a seven-year, $120 million contract. The Yankees also jettisoned much of their aging core group, replacing Paul O’Neill, Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch and Tino Martinez with Rondell White, Robin Ventura, John Vander Wal and Giambi. To the bullpen that faltered in that seventh game, Steinbrenner added right-hander Steve Karsay, who got the fattest deal ever for a set-up man: Four years, $22.25 million. Yes, it appears the Yankees are prepared to bully their way to another championship, utilizing a player payroll of nearly $130 million that no rival can approach. And Steinbrenner’s team should again be favored to win it all.
Boston Red Sox
Spring cleaning: Manager Joe Kerrigan and general manager Dan Duquette await word on their fates as the new ownership group headed by John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner takes over. Whoever manages the team has a serviceable group, led by the starting rotation of Pedro Martinez, John Burkett, Dustin Hermanson, Derek Lowe and Frank Castillo. Swapping out Carl Everett for Johnny Damon is expected to improve the offense and clubhouse atmosphere significantly. But most Red Sox players would cheer the departure of Duquette even more.
Winter report card: B. Despite the turmoil and uncertainty surrounding a team sale many believe was rigged from the start, Duquette actually managed to make some productive moves in acquiring Hermanson from St. Louis and then signing Damon (four years, $31 million) and Burkett (two years, $11 million). But no move will help more than ejecting Everett from the clubhouse, which he had come to poison through various conflicts with Boston’s last two managers and some teammates. “In certain situations last year, people not only disrespected the Red Sox uniform,” outfielder Trot Nixon said, “they also disrespected themselves.”
New York Yankees
Spring cleaning: … Jason Giambi and Robin Ventura and outfielder Rondell White should minimize the blow of losing such key clubhouse personalities as Tino Martinez and the retired Paul O’Neill and Scott Brosius. Besides, it’s still Derek Jeter’s team, and with a reloaded starting rotation and beefed-up bullpen, it should be back in the World Series.
Winter report card: A. Sure, it’s easy to improve a team when you can spend nearly $130 million on payroll like the Yankees can. But give GM Brian Cashman and his front office credit. They’ve also developed some fine players and haven’t made nearly the mistakes on the free-agent market that have crippled other big spenders, such as the Orioles and Dodgers. The playing field is drastically slanted in favor of a team whose local broadcast revenues dwarf some competitors’ total revenue. Two of Cashman’s “smaller” moves should boost his team back into the World Series. Right-handed set-up man Steve Karsay (four years, $22.25 million) fills the Jeff Nelson void in the bullpen the team struggled with last year. And John Vander Wal gives the Yankees the platoon mate for Shane Spencer.
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